Device and system for selective forwarding

Abstract

A system and method of operating equipment and services to allow enhanced global transport of IP packets is presented. A global virtual network with guaranteed capacity is used to transport said IP packets. A number of application-specific forwarding devices are deployed to detect and forward selected traffic types to the virtual network. The application-specific selective forwarding devices can be implemented based on the IP packets analysis, or by deploying enhanced control protocols like SIP/H.323.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An audio- or video-conferencing transport system, comprising:
 a transport network, comprising multiple points of presence, connected by guaranteed bandwidth channels; 
 a media transport relay in the transport network; 
 a control server configured to provide admission control to the transport network; 
 a first Internet Service Provider (ISP) network, connected to the transport network; 
 a second ISP network, connected to the transport network; 
 a first audio- or video-conferencing terminal, connected to the first ISP network; and 
 a second audio- or video-conferencing terminal, connected to the second ISP network; 
 wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is configured to send real-time audio or video data to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal by addressing the real-time audio or video data to the media transport relay in the transport network, so as to cause the real-time audio or video data (i) to travel from the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal to the transport network via the first ISP network, and then (ii) when admitted by the control server, to travel through the transport network over a guaranteed bandwidth channel of the guaranteed bandwidth channels, and then (iii) to travel from the transport network to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal via the second ISP network. 
 
     
     
       2. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is connected to the first ISP network via a local network, such that the real-time audio or video data will travel from the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal to the first ISP network via the local network. 
     
     
       3. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays having respective IP addresses, and wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is configured to address the real-time audio or video data to an IP address of one media transport relay of the plurality of media transport relays in the transport network. 
     
     
       4. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays, and wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is configured to address the real-time audio or video data to a media transport relay of the plurality of media transport relays in the transport network that is closest to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal. 
     
     
       5. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays, and wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is configured to address the real-time audio or video data to a media transport relay of the plurality of media transport relays in the transport network that is closest to the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal. 
     
     
       6. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is configured to use tunnelling to send the real-time audio or video data to the media transport relay in the transport network. 
     
     
       7. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is configured to use a proxy mechanism to send the real-time audio or video data to the media transport relay in the transport network. 
     
     
       8. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1  wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is configured to use TURN to send the real-time audio or video data to the media transport relay in the transport network. 
     
     
       9. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays and wherein at least one media transport relay of the plurality of media transport relays is a SIP or H.323 media proxy. 
     
     
       10. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal is connected to the second ISP network via a local network, such that the real-time audio or video data will travel from the second ISP network to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal via the local network. 
     
     
       11. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the transport network is configured to hold the real-time audio or video data for as long as necessary to forward the real-time audio or video data to a point of presence of the multiple points of presence in the transport network that is nearest to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal. 
     
     
       12. The audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays, wherein the plurality of media transport relays comprise unicast-multicast reflectors, and wherein the transport network supports multicast for enabling multi-party conferences. 
     
     
       13. A method of transporting audio- or video-conferencing data utilizing an audio- or video-conferencing transport system of  claim 1 , the method comprising a first audio- or video-conferencing terminal connected to a first ISP network:
 sending authorization information to a control server in order to gain admission to a transport network comprising multiple points of presence, connected by guaranteed bandwidth channels; and 
 sending real-time audio or video data to a second audio- or video-conferencing terminal connected to a second ISP network, and addressing the real-time audio or video data to a media transport relay in the transport network, to cause the real-time audio or video data (i) to travel from the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal to the transport network via the first ISP network, and then (ii) to travel through the transport network over a guaranteed bandwidth channel of the guaranteed bandwidth channels, and then (iii) to travel from the transport network to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal via the second ISP network. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the media transport relay to which the real-time audio or video data is addressed is a SIP or H.323 media proxy. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal is connected to the first ISP network via a local network, and wherein the real-time audio or video data travels from the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal to the first ISP network via the local network. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal is connected to the second ISP network via a local network, and wherein the real-time audio or video data travels from the second ISP network to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal via the local network. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , comprising the transport network forwarding the real-time audio or video data to a point of presence of the multiple points of presence in the transport network that is nearest to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal, and holding the real-time audio or video data in the transport network for as long as necessary to carry out said forwarding. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays, and wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal addresses the real-time audio or video data to a media transport relay of the plurality of media transport relays in the transport network that is closest to the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays, and wherein the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal addresses the real-time audio or video data to a media transport relay of the plurality of media transport relays in the transport network that is closest to the second audio- or video-conferencing terminal. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the transport network comprises a plurality of media transport relays, and wherein the plurality of media transport relays comprise unicast-multicast reflectors, the method further comprising using multicast in the transport network to send the real-time audio or video data to multiple recipients. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 13 , comprising the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal addressing the real-time audio or video data to an IP address of the media transport relay. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 13 , comprising the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal using tunnelling to send the real-time audio or video data to the media transport relay in the transport network. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 13 , comprising the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal using a proxy mechanism to send the real-time audio or video data to the media transport relay in the transport network. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 13 , comprising the first audio- or video-conferencing terminal using TURN to send the real-time audio or video data to the media transport relay in the transport network.